These are in no particular order and were last updated 5.6.13 Items specifically covered in the Spring TST meeting are designated with *
Last conference David mentioned that he was trying to get the TST position as an authorized state funded position. What is the current status of that issue? The Alabama Educational Technology Association has long been advocating for a full time technology position per school. David has talked with Mrs. Simpson as to the possibility of a TST stipend, not unlike a coaching stipend. No progress yet.
Will the Help Desk be open this summer? The Help Desk will only be available for INow.
When will all schools receive a Tandberg cart? The completion date is September 1 for all eRate covered schools. The district will work to get the non-Title schools equipment.
Can more than one person at a school be a TST? No, IT asks that there be only ONE contact at each school, only ONE TST that calls the Help Desk, etc. A school can have as many technology "helpers" as it wants or needs but only ONE TST.
How can I create something like the Revelation Helpdesk to track my in-house work orders?
New Work Order software will be launched at the beginning for the 2013-14 school year that requires teachers to enter their own work order. TSTs will then either act on or send the work order up the line.
Can someone find a good program and machine for us to copy our VHS tapes to a DVD? Contact the TST at Bryant High School: Glenn Holmes
When will we start using/getting our student user IDs?** Student logins have been provided for grades 3 - 12. Elementary labs have been provided a Lab login. All other generic logins should be shut down.
We have subs that must use a teacher's login in order to use SMART lessons left by the teacher. What can we do?
The principal may request a login for a sub that needs computer access in order to use SMART lessons left by the teacher IF the sub has been through some basic SMART training either by your school District SMART Trainer or by the TRTs.
Can I have my SMART Board remounted elsewhere? Our office will not pay to move a SMART Board. Our office has the option of approving all SMART Board placement.
How do I get iNOW to work on my iPad? Go to Settings> Safari> Block pop-ups and turn off the pop-up blocker. If that does not work call Charles Martin @ 6203
When we send computers to the warehouse to dispose of them are the hard drives wiped clean as part of this process? Yes, that is included in the contract with the disposal company.
Why don't we lease computers? We have studied this possibility and determined that we save money by purchasing.
Can we buy laptop without a wide screen as the SMART Board projectors are not wide screen? Yes, Contact Tiffany with Arey Jones.
How can I get out of warranty computers serviced? If the computer JUST went out of warranty put in a work order. Include the serial number. We will contact Arey Jones if we decide to pay for your work order. MCPSS will service computers NO MORE than one year outside warranty.
Can I get RAM for old computers? Contact George to see if there is RAM available.
Can anyone fix LCD projectors? We have 4 on the shelf that don't work and are out of warranty. There is no one in the district that fixes broken LCD projectors. You must find a source in the community.
Why do you have to be an administrator to download SMARTBoard software? What is replacing Deep Freeze? Why can't teachers right click any more? There is no replacement for Deep Freeze. User rights have been redefined. We don’t envy the hardware folks in their effort to find a balance between security and convenience – and we seem to be leaning toward security presently. That’s why the downgraded administrative rights. Teacher logins should allow for right click.
Is it , ultimately, the parent's responsibility to let you know if they do not want their student photographed or to access the internet? Yes.
What is the status of the telephone install to all classrooms? Finishing up. All switches will be upgraded.
How will traveling teachers, nurses, etc. print to our copy machines? refer to Xerox
Will we have At-Risk reports for elementary schools available in the Data Warehouse? yes.
Can staff (aides) login if they do not have a designated machine for reading emails? Yes, webmail is available on any computers with internet access. In order for them to use Outlook they would need to be logged into the machine as themselves and Outlook installed.
What do we do when employees bring their personal laptops and connect to the network in order to use the SMART Board? It is OK to bring a personal computer into the building but it is not OK for it to connect to the MCPSS network. A computer need not be on the network to run the SMART Board. The miDevice, when it is active everywhere, will allow teachers to bring technology also.
We had a projector attached to a SMART Board "die". The IT Tech told me the color wheel was attacked by dust. He told me the projectors need to be cleaned with canned air every two weeks. Who is responsible for cleaning these projectors and who will provide the canned air? Local schools are responsible for cleaning projectors (and computers, we might add) - as they have been in the past. Local schools are responsible for their own dust. It follows that maintaining a relatively dust free environment would be the first step. We will work to develop SMART Board maintenance guidelines and post them to the mcpsssmartstuff wiki.
Answers to questions asked during the 2010 TST meeting. In no particular order..... The Arey Jones Techs do NOT carry any spare parts. I call and place a work order and tell them to note that it is a bad hard drive. In a couple of days the tech comes out and says “the hard drive is bad.” He has to order a new one. *The teacher’s computer is DOWN for at least 1 1/2 weeks. This is not acceptable. Arey Techs keep parts, but only select parts. This includes hard drives. When someone puts in a work order for “Bad hard drive” often the drive is fine and windows needs to be reimaged. So they come out to diagnose the drive with the tools the vendor forces them to use before they are allowed to replace them under warranty. If this causes too great a delay, I can only suggest that the TST keep a “spare” PC to loan out in these situations.
End of day: do we leave machine on? Log out? Stay logged in? We have been working on power saving technologies (this was probably mentioned in the meeting). To be sure we get them to work properly, please just log off.
Is it possible for the system to purchase Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010 to update current computers? This is not possible at this time.
For schools that have laptops for all teachers, do you recommend that teachers take them home or leave them at school? The entire purpose of purchasing laptops for the teachers was to allow them to take them home and create lesson plans. Please allow them to go home.
What is the status of ordering desktops? We were told desktops are not being ordered any longer. Is this so? In 10 years I will have to buy 3 three-year laptops in my fixed computer labs versus 2 five-year desktops. Won’t desktops be less expensive? We have been allowing desktops to be ordered.
Where do I get a new remote for the DMS?ITS will provide a quote. Email your TRT.
Where do we get splitters for SmartBoards? ITS, our SmartBoard vendor can provide a quote. Contact ITS or email your TRT for help with a quote Do splitters have to be powered? No, they do not have to be powered, but the powered splitters will give you a better picture**. The splitter ordered from the SmartBoard bid is powered.
Items specifically covered in the Spring TST meeting are designated with *
Last conference David mentioned that he was trying to get the TST position as an authorized state funded position. What is the current status of that issue?
The Alabama Educational Technology Association has long been advocating for a full time technology position per school. David has talked with Mrs. Simpson as to the possibility of a TST stipend, not unlike a coaching stipend. No progress yet.
Will the Help Desk be open this summer?
The Help Desk will only be available for INow.
When will all schools receive a Tandberg cart?
The completion date is September 1 for all eRate covered schools. The district will work to get the non-Title schools equipment.
Can more than one person at a school be a TST?
No, IT asks that there be only ONE contact at each school, only ONE TST that calls the Help Desk, etc. A school can have as many technology "helpers" as it wants or needs but only ONE TST.
- How can I create something like the Revelation Helpdesk to track my in-house work orders?
New Work Order software will be launched at the beginning for the 2013-14 school year that requires teachers to enter their own work order. TSTs will then either act on or send the work order up the line.Can someone find a good program and machine for us to copy our VHS tapes to a DVD?
Contact the TST at Bryant High School: Glenn Holmes
When will we start using/getting our student user IDs?**
Student logins have been provided for grades 3 - 12. Elementary labs have been provided a Lab login. All other generic logins should be shut down.
- We have subs that must use a teacher's login in order to use SMART lessons left by the teacher. What can we do?
The principal may request a login for a sub that needs computer access in order to use SMART lessons left by the teacher IF the sub has been through some basic SMART training either by your school District SMART Trainer or by the TRTs.Can I have my SMART Board remounted elsewhere?
Our office will not pay to move a SMART Board. Our office has the option of approving all SMART Board placement.
How do I get iNOW to work on my iPad?
Go to Settings> Safari> Block pop-ups and turn off the pop-up blocker. If that does not work call Charles Martin @ 6203
When we send computers to the warehouse to dispose of them are the hard drives wiped clean as part of this process?
Yes, that is included in the contract with the disposal company.
Why don't we lease computers?
We have studied this possibility and determined that we save money by purchasing.
Can we buy laptop without a wide screen as the SMART Board projectors are not wide screen?
Yes, Contact Tiffany with Arey Jones.
How can I get out of warranty computers serviced?
If the computer JUST went out of warranty put in a work order. Include the serial number. We will contact Arey Jones if we decide to pay for your work order. MCPSS will service computers NO MORE than one year outside warranty.
Can I get RAM for old computers?
Contact George to see if there is RAM available.
Can anyone fix LCD projectors? We have 4 on the shelf that don't work and are out of warranty.
There is no one in the district that fixes broken LCD projectors. You must find a source in the community.
Why do you have to be an administrator to download SMARTBoard software?
What is replacing Deep Freeze? Why can't teachers right click any more?
There is no replacement for Deep Freeze. User rights have been redefined.
We don’t envy the hardware folks in their effort to find a balance between security and convenience – and we seem to be leaning toward security presently. That’s why the downgraded administrative rights.
Teacher logins should allow for right click.
Is it , ultimately, the parent's responsibility to let you know if they do not want their student photographed or to access the internet?
Yes.
What is the status of the telephone install to all classrooms?
Finishing up. All switches will be upgraded.
How will traveling teachers, nurses, etc. print to our copy machines?
refer to Xerox
Will we have At-Risk reports for elementary schools available in the Data Warehouse?
yes.
Can staff (aides) login if they do not have a designated machine for reading emails?
Yes, webmail is available on any computers with internet access. In order for them to use Outlook they would need to be logged into the machine as themselves and Outlook installed.
What do we do when employees bring their personal laptops and connect to the network in order to use the SMART Board?
It is OK to bring a personal computer into the building but it is not OK for it to connect to the MCPSS network. A computer need not be on the network to run the SMART Board. The miDevice, when it is active everywhere, will allow teachers to bring technology also.
We had a projector attached to a SMART Board "die". The IT Tech told me the color wheel was attacked by dust. He told me the projectors need to be cleaned with canned air every two weeks. Who is responsible for cleaning these projectors and who will provide the canned air?
Local schools are responsible for cleaning projectors (and computers, we might add) - as they have been in the past. Local schools are responsible for their own dust. It follows that maintaining a relatively dust free environment would be the first step. We will work to develop SMART Board maintenance guidelines and post them to the mcpsssmartstuff wiki.
Answers to questions asked during the 2010 TST meeting. In no particular order.....
The Arey Jones Techs do NOT carry any spare parts. I call and place a work order and tell them to note that it is a bad hard drive. In a couple of days the tech comes out and says “the hard drive is bad.” He has to order a new one. *The teacher’s computer is DOWN for at least 1 1/2 weeks. This is not acceptable.
Arey Techs keep parts, but only select parts. This includes hard drives. When someone puts in a work order for “Bad hard drive” often the drive is fine and windows needs to be reimaged. So they come out to diagnose the drive with the tools the vendor forces them to use before they are allowed to replace them under warranty. If this causes too great a delay, I can only suggest that the TST keep a “spare” PC to loan out in these situations.
End of day: do we leave machine on? Log out? Stay logged in?
We have been working on power saving technologies (this was probably mentioned in the meeting). To be sure we get them to work properly, please just log off.
Is it possible for the system to purchase Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010 to update current computers?
This is not possible at this time.
For schools that have laptops for all teachers, do you recommend that teachers take them home or leave them at school?
The entire purpose of purchasing laptops for the teachers was to allow them to take them home and create lesson plans. Please allow them to go home.
What is the status of ordering desktops? We were told desktops are not being ordered any longer. Is this so?
In 10 years I will have to buy 3 three-year laptops in my fixed computer labs versus 2 five-year desktops. Won’t desktops be less expensive?
We have been allowing desktops to be ordered.
Where do I get a new remote for the DMS? ITS will provide a quote. Email your TRT.
Where do we get splitters for SmartBoards? ITS, our SmartBoard vendor can provide a quote. Contact ITS or email your TRT for help with a quote
Do splitters have to be powered? No, they do not have to be powered, but the powered splitters will give you a better picture**. The splitter ordered from the SmartBoard bid is powered.